Vince and Brian's Free GRE Powerprep Explanations, Copyright 2016 by Vince Kotchian and Brian R. McElroy
Vince and Brian’s GRE Powerprep Explanations Explanations Free Explanations Explanations to the first 40 Official Official Questions from ETS’ GRE Powerprep Powerprep 2 Software Software Please also read Brian’s detailed guide to Navigating the GRE Powerprep Software. Software . Who are we? We are professional GRE tutors based in San Diego, California. Combined, we
have over 25 years experience teaching and tutoring students for this exam.
Why did we write this guide? We wrote this guide because, like most experienced GRE
tutors, we believe in using real GRE questions whenever possible. However, although ETS (the maker of the GRE) provides two free computer-based practice GREs, it does not provide any answer explanations for the PowerPrep CAT (computer adaptive test) questions! Even the answer explanations that ETS does provide in the Official Guides are often noticeably lacking and/or difficult to comprehend for the average student. The explanations within this book are meant not only to make the answers clear, but also to help you build (slowly, and over time) the type of critical thinking, reading, vocabulary and mathematics skills that that you will need to succeed on the GRE. In our explanations, we aim to to be clear, concise, direct, and simple, and we always welcome suggestions for improvements. Looking for explanations to the rest rest of the GRE PowerPrep tests? tests? The physical books aren’t quite ready yet, but you should be able to purchase them in a few weeks. Good luck with your GRE prep, and please contact us with any comments or questions! -Vince Kotchian and Brian McElroy, professional GRE tutors, San Diego CA
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Vince and Brian's Free GRE Powerprep Explanations, Copyright 2016 by Vince Kotchian and Brian R. McElroy
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Vince and Brian's Free GRE Powerprep Explanations, Copyright 2016 by Vince Kotchian and Brian R. McElroy
Brian’s Contact Info: Email:
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[email protected] Phone: 760.542.8395 Web: www.vincekotchian.com
PLEASE TURN TO THE NEXT PAGE FOR THE QUESTION EXPLANATIONS.
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Vince and Brian's Free GRE Powerprep Explanations, Copyright 2016 by Vince Kotchian and Brian R. McElroy
Section 3 - Verbal
1) Dramatic Dramatic literature literature often often ________ ________ the history history of a culture culture in that that it takes takes as its subject matter the important events that have shaped and guided the culture. A. B. C. D. E.
confounds1 repudiates2 reca ecapitulates3 anti antici cipa pate tess polarizes4
Explanation: The expression “in that” indicates that an explanation is coming. So “it takes as its
subject matter the important events” of a culture is an explanation for what “dramatic literature” is doing in the first part of the sentence. Choice C, “recapitulates”, is a good fit, since “recapitulates” means “to recap”, or “to summarize the main points of”. A) To confound is to confuse or mix up, which doesn’t make sense here and is unrelated to the information provided. B) To repudiate is to reject, which which is clearly the opposite of what is being referenced (“takes as its subject matter…”) C) To recapitulate is to summarize, summarize, which works well here, if not perfectly. D) To anticipate is to know in advance and adjust accordingly--not what’s what’s being referenced. E) To polarize is to move to the extremes--again, not relevant to to the specifics provided by the sentence.
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confound (verb): to confuse (a person) or mix up (a thing), or as an exclamation (“confounded” only). “kun FOUND” Think: can’t find. I can’t find my keys anywhere and I’m confounded as to where they may be. Where the heck are my confounded keys? 2 repudiate (verb): to refuse or accept; accept; to reject. “ruh PYOO dee ate” Think: Think: refuse poo I ate . If I were to eat poo, then my stomach would refuse the poo I ate and repudiate it by vomiting uncontrollably. 3 summarize. “Ree kuh PIT you late” Think: recap. His recap of the news recapitulate (verb): to summarize. recapitulated the day’s events. 4 polarize (verb): to separate into two conflicting or opposite positions. “POH lurr eyes” Think: Earth’s poles. Democrats and Republicans are so polarized that I’m surprised they don’t stay at the North and South poles to keep as far apart as they can.
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Vince and Brian's Free GRE Powerprep Explanations, Copyright 2016 by Vince Kotchian and Brian R. McElroy
2) Since she believed him to be both candid and trustworthy, she refused to consider the possibility that his statement had been _______. A. B. C. D. E.
irrelevant facetious5 mistaken critical insincere
Explanation: This is a classic contrast set-up: “Since she believed him to be candid and
trustworthy”, what would she then refuse to consider about him? The opposite of “candid and trustworthy”. A) Truthfulness is not directly related to whether or not something is relevant. (Relevant = related to the topic) B) “Facetious” means sarcastic, and hence is a very tempting choice because of its similarity to the topic at hand (truth). I wouldn’t eliminate it, but I don’t love it because it’s not a perfect fit. Truthful people can still be sarcastic, and vice-versa, because sarcasm (lying obviously and intentionally for effect) is not the same as deception (trying to fool or trick someone). C) Again, there is no direct relationship between the answer and the details provided. (Mistaken = wrong) You can be mistaken with or without being trustworthy. D) You can be critical with or without being truthful. E) Yes, correct. You cannot be candid unless you are also truthful. “Insincere” is very close to “facetious,” but because “insincere” is less related to joking around as is facetious, it makes for a slightly better choice here. I’ve had plenty of students make strong arguments for B, and I can’t blame them, but there is no denying that E is also a great choice. The secret is understanding what ETS is looking for, which is not only accuracy, but the general connotation of words. It’s a tough one for sure. The correct answer is Choice E.
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facetious (adjective): sarcastic. “fuh SEE shus” Think: “E” face. The facetious comedian made us smile so much that our faces looked like we were constantly saying “E”. (Try it!)
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Vince and Brian's Free GRE Powerprep Explanations, Copyright 2016 by Vince Kotchian and Brian R. McElroy
3) Given how _______ the shortcomings of the standard economic model are in its portrayals of human behavior, the failure of many economists to respond to them is astonishing. They continue to fill the journals with yet more proofs of yet more _______ theorems. Others, by contrast, accept the criticisms as a challenge, seeking to expand the basic model to embrace a wider range of things people do. A. overlooked B. occasional C. patent6
D. comprehensive E. improbable F. pervasive7
Explanation: Reading this question for the overall story reveals a negative attitude about the
economists, contrasted with a more positive attitude toward the “others” in the last sentence. Blank (i) is explained by the second part of the first sentence: if the failure of economists to respond is “astonishing”, then Choice C, “patent” (whose secondary definition means “obvious”) makes sense because not responding to something obvious could logically be “astonishing,” as opposed to answers A and B, which are not strong enough to support that conclusion. Since the tone of the first two sentences is negative, Choice E, “improbable” (meaning “unlikely”), is a good fit for blank (ii). Further confirmation that the second sentence needs to mean something negative is given by the last sentence, which has a shift to a positive attitude. Choice F, “pervasive“ (meaning “extensive”) is tempting, because it is normally used in a negative way (“we have a pervasive termine problem”), but we are looking for a word that conveys an idea of wasting one’s time on frivolous pursuits, as opposed to addressing the shortcomings of the standard (i.e, pervasive) economic model, so this does not make sense.
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patent (adjective): obvious, apparent. “PAH tint” Think: pa’s tent. Grandpa, an experienced camper through and through, came up with a patent solution to the sudden rainshowers: he kept dry in pa’s tent. 7 pervasive (adjective): prevalent, extensive, widespread, especially in a negative way. “purr VAY sive” Think: purr + evasive. Unfortunately, worms are a pervasive problem for many cats (purr ), who must take evasive action to avoid contracting them.
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Vince and Brian's Free GRE Powerprep Explanations, Copyright 2016 by Vince Kotchian and Brian R. McElroy
4) There has been much hand-wringing about how unprepared American students are for college. Graff reverses this perspective, suggesting that colleges are unprepared for students. In his analysis, the university culture is largely (i) _______ entering students because academic culture fails to make connections to the kinds of arguments and cultural references that students grasp. Understandably, many students view academic life as (ii) _______ ritual. A. primed8 for B. opaque10 to C. essential for
D. an arcane 9 E. a laudable 11 F. a painstaking12
Explanation: Blank (i) is explained by the rest of the sentence it’s in. It makes sense that the culture is unclear, or opaque (Choice B) to students “because academic culture fails to make
connections” to the things “students grasp”. The last sentence continues this sentiment, so Choice D works for Blank (ii); “an arcane” ritual would be one students find hard to understand. A common wrong answer for Blank (ii) is “painstaking” - this is often due to students conflating its meaning (it means “extremely careful”) with the meaning of “painful”. But even “painful” wouldn’t be supported by the text, since the clue is about students’ failure to understand academic culture.
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primed (adjective): ready. "PRYMED" Think: primed for prime time. When a television news anchor has paid her dues, you might say that she’s primed for prime time. 9 arcane (adjective): mysterious; known only to a few. “are KANE” Think: Ark of the Covenant. Indiana Jones understood the arcane Ark of the Covenant; the Nazis did not, which is why they perished. 10 opaque (adjective): something that is cloudy, blurry, or difficult to understand. “oh PAKE” Think: an opaque lake. If you don’t want to get sick, then I don’t recommend swimming in an opaque lake. 11 laudable (adjective) “LODD uh bull” praiseworthy. Think: applaudable . Something that’s laudable is applaudable . 12 painstaking (adjective): very careful. “PAINS taking” Think: taking pains. As a doctor, taking pains to not infect the patient means using painstaking technique when washing one’s hands before surgery.
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Vince and Brian's Free GRE Powerprep Explanations, Copyright 2016 by Vince Kotchian and Brian R. McElroy
5) The narratives that vanquished13 peoples have created of their defeat have, according to Schivelbusch, fallen into several identifiable types. In one of these, the vanquished manage to (i) _______ the victor’s triumph as the result of some spurious 14 advantage, the victors being truly inferior where it counts. Often the winners (ii) _______ this interpretation, worrying about the cultural or moral costs of their triumph and so giving some credence 15 to the losers’ story. A. construe B. anoint C. acknowledge
D. take issue with E. disregard F. collude in
Explanation: The first sentence is helpful to get the big picture: vanquished peoples are “creating” narratives. This helps clarify that Blank (i) should be “construe” ( Choice A), since
“construe” means to understand in a particular way. The clue for Blank (ii) comes at the end of the last sentence: “and so giving some credence to the losers’ story” makes it clear that the victors are agreeing with the losers’ interpretation. Therefore, Choice F, “collude in” is correct, because it means “to go along with”.
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vanquished (adjective): defeated. “Van KWISHT” Think: van squished. If a van squished the ant crossing the road, then you could say that the ant has been vanquished. 14 spurious (adjective): false. “SPUR ee uss” Think: spur curious. His spur -of-the-moment explantation made me wonder whether his story was spurious . 15 credence (adjective): belief. “KREED ints” Think: Creed is. If you tell me that Creed is your favorite band, then I won’t give any further credence to your musical judgements.
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6) The question of (i) _______in photography has lately become nontrivial 16. Prices for vintage prints (those made by a photographer soon after her or she made the negative) so drastically (ii) _______ in the 1990s that one of those photographs might fetch a hundred times as much as a nonvintage print of the same image. It was perhaps on a matter of time before someone took advantage of the (iii) _______ to peddle newly created “vintage” prints for profit. A. forgery B. influence C. style
D. ballooned E. weakened F. varied
G.discrepancy17 H. ambiguity 18 I. duplicity 19
Explanation: Don’t necessarily try to answer the blanks in order--whatever order works best
will do. It is only in last line of the text that the quotation marks (indicators of skepticism or specialized terms) around “vintage” let us know that the prints were not in fact vintage at all, which supports “forgery” for blank (i) (Choice A). Line 3 “...might fetch a hundred times as much as a...” tells us that prices of vintage prints have skyrocketed, which supports “ballooned” (Choice D) for blank (ii). Likewise, “discrepancy” (Choice G) works for blank (iii) because it means “a difference or inconsistency” and refers to the large difference in prices between vintage and non-vintage photographs. Beware Choice I, “duplicity.” While forging photographs is of course an act of duplicity, the forger is not taking advantage of his own duplicity--that would be illogical.
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nontrivial (adjective): not unimportant. “Non TRIV ee ul” Think: trivia. Most of the questions they ask during trivia night at the bar are rather trivial if you ask me...but my pop-culture-loving roommate finds them nontrivial . 17 discrepancy (noun): a difference, divergence, or disagreement. “Dis KREP in see” Think: this crepe vs. Nancy’s. There seems to be a large discrepancy between the sizethis crepe of mine and that of Nancy’s...I wonder whether she took a bite of mine while I wasn’t looking. 18 ambiguity (noun): The state of being unclear or ambiguous. “ am big YOU it ee” Think: a big “U” for undecided. When it came time to indicate her political party on the ballot, Virginia checked neither a big “D” for Democrat, nor a big “R” for Republican, but instead, a big “U” for undecided . 19 duplicity (noun): The state of being deceptive or two-faced. “Dew PLISS it ee” Think:duping Liz. In summer 1995, actor Hugh Grant thought that he could get away with duping Liz Hurley...but then along came Divine Brown, and his duplicity was exposed.
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Vince and Brian's Free GRE Powerprep Explanations, Copyright 2016 by Vince Kotchian and Brian R. McElroy
7) Question 7 is based on this passage:
“Even after numerous products made with artificial sweeteners became available, sugar consumption per capita continued to rise. Now manufacturers are introducing fat-free versions of various foods that they claim have the taste and texture of the traditional high-fat versions. Even if the manufacturers’ claim is true, given that the availability of sugar-free foods did not reduce sugar consumption, it is unlikely that the availability of these fat-free foods will reduce fat consumption.” Which of the following, if true, most seriously undermines the argument? A) Several kinds of fat substitute are available to manufacturers, each of which gives a noticeably different taste and texture to products that contain it. B) The products made with artificial sweeteners did not taste like the products made with sugar. C) The foods brought out in sugar-free versions did not generally have reduced levels of fat, but many of the fat-free versions about to be introduced are low in sugar. D) People who regularly consume products containing artificial sweeteners are more likely than others to consume fat-free foods. E) Not all foods containing fat can be produced in fat-free versions Explanation: First, isolate and paraphrase the argument, and what the argument is predicated
on. Perhaps you might write, “Since sugar-free didn’t work, fat-free won’t work”. To undermine an argument, look for a choice that introduces new information raising a plausible objection to the argument or its basis. The correct answer, Choice B, does this by stating that the sugar-free foods didn’t taste real. If that’s true, the argument is weakened since the argument uses the failure of sugar-free foods as its basis for arguing that fat-free foods won’t work either. I.e., it’s possible that the fat-free foods will taste real, so arguing that they’ll fail based on what happened with sugar-free foods (that didn’t taste real) is a weak argument.
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Vince and Brian's Free GRE Powerprep Explanations, Copyright 2016 by Vince Kotchian and Brian R. McElroy
Questions 8 to 11 are based on this passage.
Recent studies of sediment in the North Atlantic’s deep waters reveal possible cyclical patterns in the history of Earth’s climate. The rock fragments in these sediments are too large to have been transported there by ocean currents, they must have reached their present locations by traveling in large icebergs that floated long distances from their point of origin before melting. Geologist Gerard Bond noticed that some of the sediment grains were stained with iron oxide, evidence that they originated in locales where glaciers had overrun outcrops of red sandstone. Bond’s detailed analysis of deep-water sediment cores showed changes in the mix of sediment sources over time: the proportion of these red-stained grains fluctuated back and forth from lows of 5 percent to highs of about 17 percent, and these fluctuations occurred in a nearly regular 1,500-year cycle. Bond hypothesized that the alternating cycles might be evidence of changes in ocean-water circulation and therefore in Earth’s climate. He knew that the sources of the red-stained grains were generally closer to the North Pole than were the places yielding a high proportion of “clean” grains. At certain times, apparently, more icebergs from the Arctic Ocean in the far north were traveling south well into the North Atlantic before melting and shedding their sediment. Ocean waters are constantly moving, and water temperature is both a cause and an effect of this movement. As water cools, it becomes denser and sinks to the ocean’s bottom. During some periods, the bottom layer of the world’s oceans comes from cold, dense water sinking in the far North Atlantic. This causes the warm surface waters of the Gulf Stream to be pulled northward. Bond realized that during such periods, the influx of these warm surface waters into northern regions could cause a large proportion of the icebergs that bear red grains to melt before traveling very far into the North Atlantic. But sometimes the ocean’s dynamic changes, and waters from the Gulf Stream do not travel northward in this way. During these periods, surface waters in the North Atlantic would generally be colder, permitting icebergs bearing red-stained grains to travel farther south in the North Atlantic before melting and depositing their sediment. The onset of the so-called Little Ice Age (1300-1860), which followed the Medieval Warm Period of the eighth through tenth centuries, may represent the most recent time that the ocean’s dynamic changed in this way. If ongoing climate-history studies support Bond’s hypothesis of 1,500-year cycles, scientists may establish a major natural rhythm in Earth’s temperatures that could then 10
Vince and Brian's Free GRE Powerprep Explanations, Copyright 2016 by Vince Kotchian and Brian R. McElroy
be extrapolated20 into the future. Because the midpoint of the Medieval Warm Period was about AD. 850, an extension of Bond’s cycles would place the midpoint of the next warm interval in the twenty-fourth century. 8) According to the passage, which of the following is true of the rock fragments contained in the sediments studied by Bond? A) B) C) D)
The majority of than are composed of red sandstone. They must have reached their present location over 1,500 years ago. They were carried by icebergs to their present location. Most of than were carried to their present location during a warm period in Earth's climatic21 history. E) They are unlikely to have been canned to their present location during the Little Ice Age. Explanation: The second sentence of the passage talks about rock fragments “...(reaching) their present locations by traveling in large icebergs…”, so Choice C is correct. Note that the
easiest way to answer this question is by finding the specific part of the passage discussing the keywords “rock fragments” in the question.
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extrapolate (verb) to infer, conclude or draw a conclusion based on another observation or fact. “eks TRAP oh late” Think: Extra police = late Due to the fact that there are extra police on the highway today, and traffic is at a standstill, I’m guessing that there was a big accident. Hence, I canextrapolate that we are going to be late to work. 21 climatic (adjective): pertaining to climate and weather. “Kly MAT ick” Think: dramatic. Due to global warming, climatic events such as hurricanes and floods have been much moredramatic in recent years. (Don’t confuse with “climactic”, which refers to the climax of a work of art.)
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Vince and Brian's Free GRE Powerprep Explanations, Copyright 2016 by Vince Kotchian and Brian R. McElroy
9) In the final paragraph of the passage, the author is concemed primarily with A) B) C) D) E)
answering a question about Earth's climatic history pointing out a potential flaw in Bond's hypothesis suggesting a new focus for the study of ocean sediments tracing the general history of Earth's climate discussing possible implications22 of Bond's hypothesis
Explanation: With the first sentence of the last paragraph, the author brings the focus from
Bond’s hypothesis to our current world. The second sentence, “If ongoing climate-history studies support Bond’s hypothesis... scientists may establish a major natural rhythm...that could then be extrapolated into the future.” speculates about what scientists could do if Bond’s hypothesis is true, which is why Choice E is correct. The final sentence merely continues this speculation.
10) According to the passage, Bond hypothesized that which of the following circumstances would allow red-stained sediment grains to reach more southerly latitudes? A) B) C) D) E)
Warm waters being pulled northward from the Gulf Stream Climatic conditions causing icebergs to melt relatively quickly Icebergs containing a higher proportion of Iron oxide than usual The formation of more icebergs than usual in the Far north The presence of cold surface waters in the North Atlantic
Explanation: Searching for the part of the passage discussing “southerly latitudes” leads to the
last sentence of the third paragraph, because it also provides reasoning for the southerly travel: “During these periods, surface waters in the North Atlantic would generally be colder, permitting icebergs bearing red-stained grains to travel farther south in the North Atlantic before melting and depositing their sediment.” This sentence provides evidence that Choice E is correct; colder water allowed the grain-carrying icebergs to deposit sediment farther south.
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implication (noun): a conclusion, hint, suggestion, connection or insinuation (not directly stated). “imp lih KAY shun” Think: implying = suggesting . When Mike’s date told him that she was tired and it was late, implying that was that it was time to go home, the implication was obvious to everyone but him. “OK, want to get some coffee then?” he asked cluelessly.
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Vince and Brian's Free GRE Powerprep Explanations, Copyright 2016 by Vince Kotchian and Brian R. McElroy
11) It can be inferred from the passage that in sediment cores from the North Atlantic's deep waters, the portions that correspond to the Little Ice Age A) differ very little in composition from the portions that correspond to the Medieval Warm Period B) fluctuate significantly in composition between the portions corresponding to the 1300s and the portions corresponding to the 1700s C) would be likely to contain a proportion of red-stained grains closer to 17 percent than to 5 percent D) show a much higher proportion of red-stained grains in cores extracted from the far north of the North Atlantic than in cores extracted from further south E) were formed in part as a result of Gulf Stream waters having been pulled northward Explanation: Logically, the Little Ice Age was a time when surface waters were colder, but
there is evidence in the first sentence of the fourth paragraph as well: “The Little Ice Age...may represent the most recent time that the ocean’s dynamic changed in this way.” The phrase “this way” refers to the end of the third paragraph, which explains that colder waters allowed icebergs to float farther south, so sediments must have been deposited further south during that time. Bond’s hypothesis is about the fluctuations in the proportion of red-stained grains, and Choice C is correct because during those colder periods, more icebergs would have floated into the North Atlantic & the red-stained grains deposited would therefore be at the higher end.
Select the two answer choices that, when used to complete the sentence, fit the meaning of the sentence as a whole and produce completed sentences that are alike in meaning.
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Vince and Brian's Free GRE Powerprep Explanations, Copyright 2016 by Vince Kotchian and Brian R. McElroy
12) Early critics of Emily Dickinson’s poetry mistook for simplemindedness the surface of artlessness23 that in fact she constructed with such _______. A) B) C) D) E) F)
astonishment craft cunning 24 innocence naïveté25 vexation26
Explanation: The sentence creates a contrast between what critics “mistook” as
“simplemindedness” (a lack of deep thoughts) and “artlessness” (having no effort or pretentiousness) and what “in fact” was true, i.e., the information provided by the blank. A good prediction for the blank would therefore be the opposite of “simplemindedness” and “artlessness”, such as “artfulness” or “complexity”. Both “craft” and “cunning” mean “cleverness”, which fit the bill and create a logical contrast to the critics’ mistaken impression of Dickinson’s poetry. Thus the correct answers are Choices B and C . A) Astonishment (the state of being amazed) is not the opposite of simplemindedness. B) Yes, correct. Craft (skill) is the opposite of artlessness (no effort). C) Yes, correct. The word cunning (clever forethought, often in a tricky or deceptive way), despite its negative connotation, fits here because Dickinson was in fact being deceptive by disguising her poetry as simpleminded. D) Innocence is similar to simplemindedness, but does not fit here because we are looking for an antonym, not a synonym. E) Vexation is the state of being frustrated, annoyed or worried, which clearly does not fit here.
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artlessness (noun): having no effort or pretentiousness. “ART less” Think:artless and heartless. His flawless, simple, and easy cello-playing technique was at once his greatest strength and his greatest weakness: critics saw how effortless it was for him and proclaimed his playing artless and heartless. 24 cunning (noun): clever forethought, often in a tricky or deceptive way. “KUN ing” Think:cunning kung-fu In my opinion, the best kind of kung-fu is cunning kung-fu , where you seek to defeat your opponent through deception instead of just physical skill. 25 naïveté (adjective): lack of experience, wisdom or judgement. “nye eve uh TAY” think:Adam and Eve. Some people take the creation parable of Adam and Eve literally, but as a believer in science I attribute that to naïveté. 26 vexation (noun): the state of being frustrated, annoyed, or worried. “VEKS ay shun” Think: ex-nation. I am filled with vexation that if Trump is elected president, the U.S. will soon be known as an ex-nation.
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13) The macromolecule RNA is common to all living beings, and DNA, which is found in all organisms except some bacteria, is almost as _______. A) B) C) D) E) F)
comprehensive fundamental inclusive universal significant ubiquitous27
Explanation: The description “common to all” in the first part of the sentence is continued in the
second part of the sentence (this continuation is indicated by the word “and”). A good prediction for the blank would be the same phrase - “common to all”. Choices D and F are correct - both “universal” and “ubiquitous” mean “everywhere”, which creates a very similar meaning to “common to all”. A) Comprehensive means “covering all aspects of something,” which although close to the meaning of what we are looking for, does not quite fit. It also lacks a synonym pair. B) Fundamental means “basic and necessary,” which again, is quite close to what we are looking for, but is not quite the same as “common to all.” It also lacks a synonym pair. C) Inclusive means “that which includes others,” which yet again is frustratingly close to what we are looking for, but not quite there. D) Yes, universal and “common to all” are synonyms. E) Significant means “important,” which is close but yet again not quite the same as “common to all”. F) Yes, ubiquitous means “everywhere” and is thus a synonym of “common to all”. Please note: every one of these answer choices is at least close to being correct! It goes to show why you should read all answer choices before making any final decisions about your answer.
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Ubiquitous (adjective): existing everywhere. “ooh BICK wit us” Think: you big Quidditch. You big Quiddich fans have made the Harry Potter sport ubiquitious on college campuses.
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14) While in many ways their personalities could not have been more different--she was ebullient28 where he was glum, relaxed where he was awkward, garrulous 29 where he was _______ --they were surprisingly well suited. A) B) C) D) E) F)
solicitous30 munificent 31 irresolute32 laconic33 fastidious34 taciturn35
Explanation: The sentence sets up a series of contrasts between the two described people, so the blank needs to mean the opposite of “garrulous”, which means “overly talkative”. Choices D and F are correct: both “laconic” and “taciturn” mean “shy,” “using few words” or “reluctant to
speak”. A) A solicitous person is one who cares about something or someone, or one who seeks something (think of “NO SOLICITING” signs), and this is not a synonym of shy. B) A munificent person is one who is generous (think muni = money), which is not a synonym of shy. C) An irresolute person is one who is not determined (resolute = determined), which is not a synonym of shy. D) Yes, laconic36 is a synonym of shy. E) A fastidious person is one who is very attentive to details (think fast and tidy), which is not a synonym of shy. F) Yes, taciturn is a synonym of shy. 28
ebullient (adjective): cheerful, bubbly, full of energy. “Eh BOOL ee int” Think: Red Bull. After I chugged a giant Red Bull, I felt extremely ebullient . 29 garrulous (adjective) talkative, chatty, prone to discussing trivial things. “GAH ruh luss” Think: girls rule us. The reason the girls rule us is that they have a talent for being garrulous and talking us into things we shouldn’t do. 30 solicious (adjective): concerned for. “so LISS it uss” Think: solely listened to us . I knew the man was solicitous because he solely listened to us . 31 munificent (adjective): generous. “MOON if uh sint” Think: money sent. The money sent to us by our grandparents every year makes them munificent . 32 Irresolute (adjective): not firm or determined, not resolute. resolute (adjective): firmly determined. Think: resolution . It’s no use to make a New Year’s resolution if you’re not resolute enough to follow through with it. 33 laconic (adjective): concise, brief, succinct. Think: lacking kick. His personality was lacking kick; he was so laconic that he barely even said hello to us. 34 fastidious (adjective): strong attention to detail, having very picky standards. Think:fast to tidy up . My roommate is fastidious about cleaning; she gets mad if I am not fast to tidy up the apartment. 35 taciturn (adjective): reluctant to speak, not talkative. Think: takes his turn. If she’s passive and taciturn at the debate, and just politely takes her turn when speaking, then she’ll never win. 36 laconic (adjective): using few words. “luh KON ick”Think: lacking kick. His personality was lacking kick; he was so laconic that he barely even said hello to us.
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15) Even in this business, where _______ is part of everyday life, a talent for lying is not something usually found on one’s resume. A) B) C) D) E) F)
aspiration37 mendacity38 prevarication 39 insensitivity baseness40 avarice41
Explanation: The two parts of the sentence contrast with each other, as evidenced by the use
of the word “even in this business, where …”, which sets up an expectation of one thing, but a reality of another. Since the second part of the sentence says that “...lying is not usually” on a resume, the first part of the sentence must mean something nearly opposite - such as “lying is common”. Choices B and C are correct - they both mean “lying”, so they create that contrast. A) Aspiration is clearly a decoy answer, because although those who aspire (seek to achieve something) greatly will often lie in order to do so, these two concepts are not necessarily related. It also lacks a synonym pair. B) Yes, correct. Mendacity means dishonesty, so it works here. C) Yes, correct. Prevarication means avoidance of the truth, so it works here. D) Insensitivity is not the same as dishonesty. E) Baseness is the quality of lacking moral principles or character, and is not quite the same as dishonesty, because you can be base with or without being honest.
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aspiration (noun): hope, ambition, dream. “asp urr AY shun” mendacity (noun): dishonesty, deception. “Men DA sit ee” Think: mend the city. The former mayor of Providence, Buddy Cianci, promised that he would mend the city and its underhanded ways, but his mendacity became apparent when he himself was arrested for corruption. 39 prevarication (noun): avoidance of the truth, dishonesty. “pre vair uh KAY shun” Think: pre-verification. Because the leasing agent had been fooled by prevarication in the past, she required pre-verification of good credit before allowing a potential tenant to fill out a rental application. 40 baseness (noun): morally low, having bad character, dishonorable. “BASE ness” Think: basement. In movies, plays and comic books, antagonists who are filled with baseness usually reside in a dungeon, secret lair or underground basement. 41 avarice (noun): greed. “AVE uh riss” Think: have all the rice. During the food crisis in the third-world nation, its greedy dictator showed his avarice by proclaiming, “I’ll have all the rice for myself--and my people can fend for themselves.” 38
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Question 16 is based on this passage. Historians frequently employ probate inventories—lists of possessions compiled after a person’s death—to estimate standard of living. Because these inventories were taken by amateur assessors according to unwritten rules, they are sometimes unreliable. One way to check their accuracy is to compare them to archaeological records. A study of records from the state of Delaware in the eighteenth century found that while very few inventories listed earthenware, every excavation contained earthenware. Earthenware may have gone unlisted simply because it was inexpensive. But if it was so commonplace, why was it listed more often for wealthy households? Perhaps the more earthenware people had, the more likely appraisers were to note it. A few bowls could easily be absorbed into another category, but a roomful of earthenware could not. 16) Select the sentence that provides support for an answer to a question in the passage. Explanation: The question, “But if it was so commonplace, why was it listed more often for wealthy households?” is answered by the second to last sentence. The final sentence is correct because it provides supporting evidence to the second to last sentence.
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Vince and Brian's Free GRE Powerprep Explanations, Copyright 2016 by Vince Kotchian and Brian R. McElroy
Questions 17 to 19 are based on this passage. In the 1980s, neuroscientists studying the brain processes underlying our sense of conscious will compared subjects’ judgments regarding their subjective will to move (W) and actual movement (M) with objective electroencephalographic activity called readiness potential, or RP . As expected, W preceded M: subjects consciously perceived the intention to move as preceding a conscious experience of actually moving. This might seem to suggest an appropriate correspondence between the sequence of subjective experiences and the sequence of the underlying events in the brain. But researchers actually found a surprising temporal relation between subjective experience and objectively measured neural events: in direct contradiction of the classical conception of free will, neural preparation to move (RP) preceded conscious awareness of the intention to move (W) by hundreds of milliseconds. 17) Based on information contained in the passage, which of the following chains of events would most closely conform to the classical conception of free will? A) B) C) D) E)
W followed by RP followed by M RP followed by W followed by M M followed by W followed by RP RP followed by M followed by W RP followed by W and M simultaneously
Explanation : The last sentence explains a sequence of events that contradicted “in direct
contradiction…”the classical conception of free will: (RP) preceding (W). Therefore, the classical conception must be the opposite of the researchers’ findings: (W) preceding (RP). In addition, earlier in the passage, we read that “as expected, W preceded M”, so the classical conception must have W preceding M. Choice A is correct: it has W preceding both RP and M.
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18) In the context in which it appears, “temporal 42” most nearly means A) B) C) D) E)
secular43 mundane 44 numerical physiological chronological 45
Explanation: “Temporal” means “concerning time”, and the first part of the last sentence (where
the word “temporal” appears) is explained by the second part of the last sentence, in which a discussion of time sequence occurs. Choice E is therefore correct because “chronological” means “related to time”.
19) The author of the passage mentions the classical conception of free will primarily in order to A) argue that earlier theories regarding certain brain processes were based on false assumptions. B) suggest a possible flaw in the reasoning of neuroscientists conducting the study discussed in the passage C) provide a possible explanation for the unexpected results obtained by neuroscientists D) cast doubt on neuroscientists’ conclusions regarding the temporal sequence of brain processes. E) indicate the reason that the results of the neuroscientists’ study were surprising. Explanation: The last sentence, in which the author mentions the classical conception of free
will, begins by bringing up a “surprising” sequence of events. A good prediction for why the author mentions the “classical conception” might therefore be to provide context to explain why the events were surprising. Choice E is correct; by mentioning the classical (i.e., expected) conception being contradicted, the author gives the reader a reason that the events were unexpected.
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temporal (adjective): relating to time. “TEM purr ul” Think: temporary. Technically, diamonds aren’t forever; in a temporal sense, they’re only temporary and will turn to dust one day. 43 secular (adjective): not religious. “SEK you lurr” Think: sex u later . “If you are religious, then I am not interested, but if you are secular then I might want to sex u later ”, said the poorly written Tinder profile. 44 mundane (adjective): boring, dull, ordinary. “Mun DANE” Think: Mondays . Asking someone whether they have a “case of the Mondays ” is such a mundane saying that it’s not funny anymore. 45 chronological (adjective): ordered by time. “kron oh LODGE ih kull” Think: chronic pain. Chronic pain is the type of pain that keeps coming back, time after time. (Also, a chronograph is a fancy word for a stopwatch.)
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Question 20 is based on this passage. Rain-soaked soil contains less oxygen than does drier soil. The roots of melon plants perform less efficiently under the low-oxygen conditions present in rain-soaked soil. When the efficiency of melon roots is impaired, the roots do not supply sufficient amounts of the proper nutrients for the plants to perform photosynthesis at their usual levels. It follows that melon plants have a lower-than-usual rate of photosynthesis when their roots ar in rain-soaked soil. When the photosynthesis of the plants slows, sugar stored in the fruits is drawn off to supply the plants with energy. Therefore, ripe melons harvested after a prolonged period of heavy rain should be less sweet than other ripe melons. 20) In the argument given, the two highlighted portions play which of the following roles? A) The first states the conclusion of the argument as a whole; the second provides support for that conclusion. B) The first provides support for the conclusion of the argument as a whole; the second provides evidence that supports an objection to that conclusion. C) The first provides support for an intermediate conclusion that supports a further conclusion stated in the argument; the second states that intermediate conclusion. D) The first serves as an intermediate conclusion that supports a further conclusion stated in the argument; the second states the position that the argument as a whole opposes. E) The first states the position that the argument as a whole opposes; the second supports the conclusion of the argument. Explanation: It can be helpful to classify each sentence for questions about function or role.
The first sentence is a fact. The second sentence is another fact (in what seems to be a chain of events regarding melon plants). The third sentence is another related fact. The fourth sentence, “It follows that…” is a conclusion based on the preceding facts. The fifth sentence is another fact, and the final sentence is a conclusion based on the preceding facts. So a good prediction for the answer would be that the first bolded portion is a fact, and the second bolded part is a conclusion. Choice C is correct; the fact in the first bold part supports the conclusion in the second bold part, which in turn supports the conclusion in the final sentence.
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Vince and Brian's Free GRE Powerprep Explanations, Copyright 2016 by Vince Kotchian and Brian R. McElroy
Section 4 - Quantitative
1)
O is the center of the circle, and the perimeter of Δ AOB is 6. Quantity A
Quantity B
The circumference of the circle
12
Quantity A is greater. Quantity B is greater. The two quantities are equal. The relationship cannot be determined from the information given. Explanation : One important principle of circles is that “all radii are equal”. Here, we have two
radii, OA and OB. If they are equal then so are their opposite angles, meaning that angles AOB and ABO are equal and thus both 60 degrees, meaning that the remaining angle is also 60 degrees (180 degrees in a triangle). Now, we have an equilateral triangle (all sides equal). Given the fact that the perimeter is 6, we can divide 6 by 3 sides to get a radius of 2, making Choice A correct.
= 2πr C = 2π(2) C = 4 π = more than 12 because π > 3 C
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Vince and Brian's Free GRE Powerprep Explanations, Copyright 2016 by Vince Kotchian and Brian R. McElroy
2) A certain recipe requires
3 cups of sugar and makes 2 dozen cookies. (1 dozen = 2
12) Quantity A
Quantity B
The amount of sugar required for the same recipe to make 30 cookies A) B) C) D)
2 cups
Quantity A is greater. Quantity B is greater. The two quantities are equal. The relationship cannot be determined from the information given.
Explanation : This is the type of question that can easily take forever to solve if you’re not solid
on your fraction and ratio fundamentals. However, if you’re confident and prepared, then a question like this one should come easily. 3/2 = 1.5 so 1.5 cups of sugar for 24 cookies. I suggest that you multiply both sides of that fraction by 2: 3 cups of sugar for 48 cookies. How many cups of sugar for 30 cookies? Let’s set up a simple proportion and find out: cups/sugar = 3/48 = x/30. Cross multiply. 48x = 90, so x < 2, making choice B correct.
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Vince and Brian's Free GRE Powerprep Explanations, Copyright 2016 by Vince Kotchian and Brian R. McElroy
3)
Quantity A
Quantity B
The area of rectangular region ABCD
A) B) C) D)
The area of trapezoidal region EFGH
Quantity A is greater. Quantity B is greater. The two quantities are equal. The relationship cannot be determined from the information given.
Explanation : Area of a rectangle = (base)(height). Area of ABCD = 8 x 3 = 24
Split trapezoidal region EFGH into a 5 x 4 rectangle (area 20) and a 2 x 4 triangle. Area of a triangle = bh/2 = 4. 20 + 4 = 24. Or, area of a trapezoid = ½ (base 1 + base 2) * height ½ (5 + 7) 4 = ½ (12) 4 = 24. Answer: C
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Vince and Brian's Free GRE Powerprep Explanations, Copyright 2016 by Vince Kotchian and Brian R. McElroy
4)
Quantity A x
Quantity B y
A) B) C) D)
Quantity A is greater. Quantity B is greater. The two quantities are equal. The relationship cannot be determined from the information given.
Explanation : This one is tough because it doesn’t have a lot of numbers. It is certainly true
from the drawing that the measure of angle y looks greater than the measure of angle x. But remember that on the GRE, figures are not necessarily drawn to scale! Thus, it is better to try to re-draw questions like these in order to exaggerate the differences, while still keeping the requirements of the question intact. For example, it is easy to draw a version of this where x=y (just make QS perpendicular to PR). In that case, the answer would be C. Cross off A and B.
Then, it would be easy to make another triangle where the apex is shifted even further over to the right. In this case, y would be far greater than x (B). 25
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B and C = Choice D.
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Vince and Brian's Free GRE Powerprep Explanations, Copyright 2016 by Vince Kotchian and Brian R. McElroy
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